he has always been most tender of his son, who is his only child; as a master, he has ruled with gentleness; and as a landlord, nothing has given him greater pleasure than to see his tenants get forward in the world. In a word, he is a compassionate, generous man.

Mr. Henry Clifford early imbibed a contempt of the clergy, as well as of religion, which he seemed to think inseparably connected. But I have the satisfaction to tell you, that I have every reason to believe that his sins are pardoned, and that he possesses that love of the supreme Being which distinguishes true Christianity from Christianity so corrupted as to be the promoter of ambition, avarice, and sensual gratification.

1

The son walked in the steps of his father. He received a polite education, and having made the tour of Europe, returned to England with impressions unfavourable to the Christian religion. In this state of mind he made his addresses to Miss Barnwell, a religious lady, by whom they were rejected. That lady, whom my dear Eusebia must have mentioned to you, I have now the happiness to call my wife. We had been married a month when the letters from you and my sister arrived at Mrs. Worthington's, at whose house we then were on a visit, together with my father and sister and Mr. Charles Clifford.

This gentleman being in the company of Miss Barnwell and of my sister Eusebia, the latter not only confuted his deistical opinions, but also in some measure convinced him of the truth of our holy religion. He then received an arrow from the divine quiver, and the wound could not be healed but by an application of the blood of Jesus Christ. This conversation happened but a little time before my father and she came to St. Omer's to see me. When he heard of her supposed shipwreck, he was inconsolable. He visited all the seaports on the coasts of England and France, that he might gain some intelligence concerning her; and I perceive by her letters that they were both at Dunkirk at the same time.

It is my desire, my dear parents, that you will intercede with my Eusebia, in behalf of Mr. Clifford. My friends, who are fully acquainted with, and who highly value this

gentleman, unite with me in the same request, as well as în earnestly advising my sister not to reject him.

I beg you to assure Mr. Levi and his family, that we entertain a high sense of their worth, and consider ourselves inexpressibly indebted to them for their disinterested kindness to my dear Eusebia. Please to tell that dear girl, that I had no time to write to her. Mr. Clifford came to take leave of us sooner than I expected, and indeed before I had begun to write. He is impatient to depart, fearing he should lose his passage to Boston.

I intended to say something concerning the divine mercy to my dear father and sister; but time will not permit. Mr. Clifford will give you all the information concerning us that you can desire.

With sincere respects to my brothers and sisters, and all my good friends in America,

I am, my dear parents,

Your dutiful and affectionate son,

WILLIAM NEVILLE.

LETTER LXXXIX.

From Mrs. Neville to Miss Eusebia Neville.

MY VERY DEAR SISTER,

YOU know I always greatly loved you, both as a friend, and after that as a Christian; but I myself did not know how much, till I feared I should never see you any more in the present world. If I loved you thus affectionately when you were lost, I do not love you less now that you are found; and if this was the case when I was Miranda Barnwell, it is not less so now that I am the wife of your dear brother, and can in a new sense call you my sister.

We all feel the most lively gratitude to our heavenly Father for his kind preservation of you, when we had every

reason, to suppose that you had long since made your bed in the mighty waters.

We have read your eleven letters to my aunt, with great pleasure, and that from the good Mr. Bethune with equal satisfaction. The excellent Mr. Levi, too, and his amiable wife and daughter, are the objects of our admiration and es teem. Benevolence and brotherly love are the balm of life, the cement of society. He who practises them most, is best acquainted with the rare art of rendering happy both himself and all with whom he is connected. Selfishness, on the other hand, promises great things to deluded mortals, but performs nothing. From this source arise disa greements between masters and servants, parents and children, husbands and wives, kings and subjects, and kingdom and kingdom.

My dearest Eusebia, you will not find Mr. Charles Clifford the same person he was when he conversed with you at Barnwell, but the meek, the humble Christian, sitting at the feet of Jesus, and hearing those words of eternal life which proceeded out of his mouth. His father also has been brought to abhor himself in dust and ashes. He has been with Signior Albino and Thomas Livingstone to Barnwell meeting, to hear the good Mr. Lowe. He was greatly affected during the whole time, and appeared to be much edified and comforted.

I am the zealous advocate of this gentleman. He merits my Eusebia's esteem. I have not the least doubt that he will be a good husband.

My letter is wanted. Present my love to all your friends,. and accept the same from,

My dear ister,

Yours with the greatest affection,
MIRANDA NEVILLE.

LETTER XC.

From Miss Eusebia Neville to Mr. James Neville.

MY DEAR AND HONOURED FATHER,

:

NEVER could I have expected that a time would arrive when I should address you with fear and trembling; -much less that, while you were living, I should be an orphan, and compelled to wander far from those pleasing scenes which first made an impression on my tender years. The consideration that I have no interest in your affections, nor in the esteem of those whom I held, and still hold most dear to me, is very grievous; and this calamity is not lessened but increased, by the thought that I have never, I hope, once offended you, except in those things wherein my everlasting salvation is concerned and there, I dare call no one father or master on earth, nor subject my conscience to the direction of any fallible teacher. Rather than do this, I have chosen to cast myself upon divine providence, and to trust to the mercy of strangers. O my dear father, what a consolation would it be to me to think, that you had been guiltless of these my trials. Had I suffered by the hand of an enemy, it had been comparatively a light affliction. I continually pray for you, for my beloved but unkind sister, and for the well-meaning but misinformed father Albino, that you may be convinced that the Christian religion does not authorize one person to force the conscience of another. O that you did but know the value of that religion! As it exists in the sacred oracles, it is a well-spring of life: polluted by human interpretations, and mixed with spurious traditions, it is a fountain of death.

With respect to the place of my present residence, suffice it to say, that a vast ocean separates me from my dear and honoured parent. I do not intend to recross it. My wants, which are few, I can supply by means of my industry. There is no prospect of my being married at present: I have had many suitors; but all of them have been destitute of the most important qualification, the fear of God.

O my dear friends, what darkness has covered the earth, in consequence of the attempts of worldly men to make Christianity the road to wealth, honour, and sensual gratifications. How is it that you cannot perceive that Christianity, as it is taught in the New Testament, countenances none of those corruptions of it which have taken place among worldly-minded priests, and their deluded followers, who suppose that gain is godliness?

The country in which Providence has placed me, has this excellence above most, if not all the countries of the earth-there is no national religion in it. What a blessing is this to the inhabitants. As I probably shall never see you again in this world, I pray that my dear parent and sister may learn their religion from the Holy Scriptures. Then I may hope to see them where the wicked cease from troubling, and where the weary are at rest.

If I have not mentioned my dear brother till now, he will easily believe that it proceeds not from want of affection. The reason is, I know not where Providence has placed him. Permit me, Sir, to assure you, that he was ignorant of my intention to escape from St. Omer's.

I live in a family where I am useful, and where I meet with respect. Besides working with my needle, I teach a boy of ten years of age Latin, and am perfecting a young lady in English. I thank you, my dear parent, for my education. My thanks are also due to Signior Albino, whose care and tenderness I shall ever remember with gratitude, while I shall endeavour to forget his unkindness.

It was my intention, when I began this letter, to conceal the place of my residence. You cannot, however, but discover that I am in the United States. I dare not tell you where I am to be found. Yet, alas, what reason have I to suppose that you will be anxious about it?

I shall continue to pray for you, and for my dear brother and sister, and Signior Albino, and am, what I trust I have

ever been,

My dear Father,

Your dutiful and affectionate daughter,

EUSEBIA NEVILLE.